"DHDL" is back – with a new season and a new investor Nico Rosberg. A founder set a record right at the start.
"Die Höhle der Löwen" started its eighth season on Monday evening at VOX (8:15 pm; also via TVNow). Right at the beginning, the start-up show has it all: Nico Rosberg (35) shows teeth as the new lion and a founder ensures an unprecedented deal.
The new lion in the first duel
The new round of the founders' round starts sportily: The passionate soccer players and trained mechanical engineers David Krusch and Manuel Kössl want to land the big coup in the sports sector with "Grpstar". They have developed wear-free cleats called "Grps" that are adjustable in three heights and that can be adapted to the ground and weather conditions. The two want 85,000 euros for ten percent of the company's shares.
Georg Kofler (63) does not believe in the success of the product: "You have no chance in this overpowering competition." Dagmar Wöhrl (66) and Ralf Dümmel (53) lack the expertise, neither do they make an offer. Football fan Nils Glagau (44) believes he can offer the right network, marketing and sales, but wants a 24 percent share for the required amount. Nico Rosberg is also interested and can mainly serve with his contacts to professional sports, but he wants 25 percent of the company. The founders remain stubborn and after repeated consultations they offer "only" 19 percent as a counter-proposal. Nils Glagau would accept the offer, while Rosberg continues to fight and bid 20 percent. But the Austrians decide in favor of Nils Glagau in the bidding dispute.
Good taste but controversial market
Hongmei "Ivy" Zhang and Kevin Brück aim to "bring the best dim sum to Germany". The founders converted Zhang's Chinese family recipe and worked for around three years on the development of six frozen varieties of Asian dumplings with a long shelf life and without additional additives. In order to become even better known and international, they are asking for 300,000 euros for 15 percent of the company shares in their Yumbau brand, which they founded in 2015.
The lions are enthusiastic about the presentation and the taste of the product. But: Carsten Maschmeyer (61) lacks a problem-solving approach on the product. In the competitive frozen food sector, Rosberg, Wöhrl, Dümmel and Judith Williams (48) do not see themselves as perfect investors – on the Löwen and founders side, disappointment remains.
An offended lioness
For travel, fashion and lifestyle influencer Philip Deml, his smartphone is a constant companion in everyday life. Together with Cem Dogan, he came up with the idea for "Flapgrip". At the beginning of the year they launched their slim and multifunctional mobile phone holder for every smartphone. Attached to the back of the cell phone, it should be an aid for streaming, selfie or video production. The two men would be happy about 125,000 euros for 15 percent shares.
Nils Glagau interrupts the question and answer session with the founders. "Cool guys, cool product," he assesses and immediately makes the two of them an offer, but wants 20 percent. But the founders don't decide for him straight away, that's the lion out. No property rights, a strong competitor and too small a leap in innovation: Carsten Maschmeyer rejects the founders. Wöhrl believes in the product, but suspects with her gut feeling that Cem sees his preferred lion in Ralf Dümmel and therefore gets out a little offended. The latter is certain: "I am exactly the right person." However, he is vying for 25 percent company shares. Judith Williams makes the "Flapgrip" founders the same offer – Ralf Dümmel gets the deal in the end.
Strong topic, too many uncertainties
Tobias Wagner and Michael Masnitza also have a lion that they would be particularly happy to receive: Nico Rosberg. They want 1,000,000 euros and are offering 16.7 percent of their company "Charge X". The Munich-based company is committed to a more efficient charging network for electric vehicles and has developed the modular charging solution to convert all parking spaces in a multi-storey car park into charging stations. Up to eight vehicles should be able to be charged with one power connection. There is also a digital charging assistant that takes the mobility behavior of users into account and adjusts the charging volume accordingly.
"You two are awesome, I would buy everything from you," confesses Judith Williams, who lacks the expertise for a deal – as does Ralf Dümmel and Dagmar Wöhrl. Nico Rosberg and Carsten Maschmeyer consult, Rosberg then decides against a deal. Given all the uncertainties such as a patent that has not yet been granted, the required amount is set too high. For Carsten Maschmeyer, too, there is still "too much open" and despite his interest in the topic, he cannot make an offer. "If that is intense, you can't switch off for a second," Rosberg draws a first interim conclusion as the new lion after the exciting presentation.
A flood of compliments for the founder
Jennifer Baum-Minkus quit her job overnight to start a revolution in the beauty industry. "We take the varnish out of the nail polish," explains the 35-year-old from Frankfurt. Carcinogenic substances and remnants of scale insects or fish scales are used in common varnishes, plus the often pungent smell.
For a year and a half she worked on a better solution. With her nail polish "gitti", based on the name of her mother Brigitte, she had a sensational sales start last year. More than half of the paint consists of water, plus pigments, vitamins and substances for a longer shelf life. It is odorless and vegan and has been patented. Instead of varnish, the founder wants to establish the term nail color. The media graduate needs "a strong partner" and his 300,000 euros, for which she offers 8 percent of her company.
Judith Williams lends a hand and paints Maschmeyer and Kofler a test nail. Maschmeyer would be there immediately: "I have always resolved not to invest in cosmetics, but for me the founders are the reason to invest. They are a start-up dream. I think they are world class." Georg Kofler already sees a "global brand" and wants to sell the idea internationally. Dagmar Wöhrl and Ralf Dümmel are also enthusiastic about the "gitti" founder. Beauty expert Judith Williams sees her skins swim away and bids for the same conditions.
A record for "Die Höhle der Löwen": Never before have five lions made the same offer independently of one another. The founder has the last word: she would like to accept Judith Williams' offer, at the same time she would be happy if another investor with 50,000 euros (around 1.3 percent) joins the company. The male lions do not want to be fobbed off with it and get out. Dagmar Wöhrl absolutely wants to work with the "great woman" and wants to accept the additional offer – the record deal ends with an embracing trio of women.